Chapter 2029: Chapter 2029

With the [Principle of All Machines], Jenkins now had a path to godhood. Even if he wasn't the God of Lies, even if he wasn't a Savior, he could still ascend as long as he was willing to learn. This ability was a foundation for divinity. While possessing such a power was no guarantee of becoming a god, for a mortal, it was the only path to transcendence—unless one was born into a world of supreme beings and given the chance to bear sin, or became a Savior at the end of an epoch.

All three of his new abilities were immensely powerful, but to Jenkins, they held little practical significance. His enemy was a machine, one with a far deeper command of mechanical forces than he could ever hope to match. His own powers, therefore, had almost no effect on the Difference Engine itself. He never for a moment entertained the thought that he could use [Mechanical Light] to dismantle it; such a notion was patently absurd.

The greatest significance of his evolving abilities lay in the insight they provided. Jenkins now had a much clearer understanding of his enemy's power and a better grasp of what it was truly capable of.

That knowledge was invaluable. In the current crisis, any information about the Difference Engine was worth more than gold.

The Church, believing Jenkins had been inside the negotiation hall the entire time, felt someone needed to brief him on what had transpired.

He was in the middle of a conversation with Alexia when he saw them approach: Miss Bevanna, Miss Strass, and Gilbert. The first words out of Miss Bevanna's mouth left Jenkins stunned.

“A single person can possess multiple Savior’s Emblems!”

“Y-yes,” Jenkins stammered. “That’s why I wanted to obtain the [Uncrowned King].”

He asked the question with a guilty conscience, but he managed to appear outwardly calm. The traces of blood had been wiped clean from his face, leaving no sign of what he had just endured.

“The status of Savior can be held by multiple people! The Believers of Lies were rumored to have six or seven members, and just now, five of them died in the most comical fashion! Saint Williamette, do you understand?”

Mr. Gilbert elaborated.

Jenkins blinked. He took a moment to think, confirmed he hadn’t blown his cover, and then replied with composure.

Of course, he had no idea what they were truly getting at, but he knew it was always wise to play along.

“Exactly! Six of the Believers of Lies died before our very eyes, but aside from the venerable hero, Mr. Candle, the deaths of the others were highly suspicious. But now we finally know! We understand the mystery that has shrouded their order, the secret they’ve been hiding, the reason for their elusive movements, and why they always appeared one at a time. All our questions have finally been answered.”

Miss Strass declared, her voice brimming with excitement.

“What’s more, this theory has already been accepted by the other churches.”

“And what has the Church theorized?”

Alexia asked with a smile. She had already figured it out. Jenkins had been lucky this time; his methods were a bit clumsy, but they had certainly achieved the desired effect.

“The Believers of Lies never had that many members! All this time, it has been a small number of individuals appearing under different identities! They were hiding a secret! The most important secret of all! That a single person can possess multiple emblems!”

Gilbert’s voice rose with fervor, and Jenkins glanced around, worried they might be overheard.

“Their faked deaths just now were because they couldn’t even gather seven people for the negotiations, so they had to reduce their numbers right in front of us!”

That statement was entirely correct.

“The number of Believers of Lies is extremely small. Perhaps they have a large contingent of ordinary people helping them execute their schemes, but the core group consists of very few individuals! Yes, the Believers of Lies... in truth, there are only two of them!”

That statement was entirely wrong. Jenkins breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

“Jenkins, think about it. Among all those Believers of Lies, which ones have appeared using codenames or names they chose for themselves?”

Miss Strass prompted. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI-Fire.ɴet

“...Mr. Candle and Miss Fabry?”

The other identities, like the black-robed figures, were all codenames assigned by the Church. Only “Mr. Candle” and “Miss Fabry” were names of Jenkins’s own invention.

“Yes, Saint Williamette. Can you guess why?”

“Because only those two actually exist. They needed names to operate in the city and trade on the black market. The others don’t really exist, so they have no need for names. In fact, being nameless makes it easier to remain hidden and confuse everyone.”

Alexia answered on Jenkins’s behalf, then let out a soft laugh.

“So that’s it. That explains everything. It’s why the methods and abilities of certain Believers of Lies were so similar, even down to that sword and that unicorn... Truly astonishing. It all makes sense now.”

She spoke with a teasing lilt, then glanced at Jenkins, who remained silent, his expression carefully neutral.

“Miss Miller, your theory is precisely ours, and the Church is in full agreement. That group is truly cunning. If they hadn’t been forced into the open and resorted to such a crude scheme of faking their deaths, no one would have ever guessed the truth.”

Mr. Gilbert said with a nod.

“Yes, no one would have guessed.”

Jenkins echoed, glancing at Alexia. Just as he expected, she was trying to suppress a smile.

“I never imagined the Believers of Lies could be pushed into such a desperate corner,” Miss Bevanna remarked, nodding thoughtfully. “Forced by the urgency of the situation to use such a clumsy ploy to hide their secret. But lies are always exposed in the end. They may be formidable, but they can’t maintain their charade forever.”

The Church’s reasoning had taken a bizarre and unexpected detour, yet from their perspective, it was a perfectly logical conclusion. Though it strayed far from reality, it was certainly closer to the truth than their original guess of six or seven members.

Given time, the Church might have eventually deduced that there was only one Believer of Lies. Given more time, they might have guessed that person was within their own ranks. And given even more time, they might have finally discovered that person was His Holiness, the Saint himself.

But there was no time left. They would not be given the luxury.

Based on their current assessment, the Church predicted that when Miss Fabry arrived, she would not appear overly grief-stricken. If the order’s core truly consisted of only two people, then the death of one meant Miss Fabry would inherit everything. It would even spare them the trouble of the “internal conflict” to determine who would claim the title of Savior.

After all, if the order had six or seven members, the deaths of their comrades would inevitably bring sorrow. But if there were only two, and competitors at that, the death of one would surely leave the survivor ecstatic. This seemed especially plausible since the Church knew the Believers of Lies maintained notoriously cool relations with one another, and that Miss Fabry was unmarried and had no romantic ties to Mr. Candle.

Miss Fabry’s attitude upon her arrival would serve as the final verification of the Church's theory—a theory they already considered to be irrefutably correct.

“You’re really something else.”

Alexia teased after Miss Bevanna and the others had departed.

“This wasn’t your plan all along, was it?”

“Say what you will. I’m worried about Papa Oliver right now... Alright, fine, I considered this might happen, but I certainly didn’t plan it. I just never expected the Church could concoct such an elaborate theory without me saying a single word.”

“But, you are... a god.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“Your thoughts can influence reality.”

She whispered gently.

“So, can my thoughts influence reality right now?”

Jenkins asked, looking directly into Alexia’s eyes. She responded with a light slap on his arm.

“Oh, Alexia, just admit it! You really can read minds!”

But regardless of the banter, the fact that the Church believed it had uncovered the truth was a very good thing. It meant no one would waste time contemplating the real truth: that Jenkins himself was the Believer of Lies.

(Chocolate is running...)

By sacrificing himself, Mr. Candle had repelled another assault from the Difference Engine. Though the calamity heralded by the three tolls of the bell would continue unabated, the Sage’s Church was, for the moment, safe.

One by one, the defensive rituals ceased. The Church’s demigods returned to the conference hall. As the clock neared three in the afternoon, the negotiations were finally set to begin.

A somber atmosphere pervaded the assembly. It was not born from the disaster itself—most still held faith that the crisis would ultimately be resolved. The grief was for the sacrifice. For Mr. Candle’s sacrifice. A hero’s sacrifice.

The deaths of the first five had been laughably unconvincing, but Mr. Candle’s mutual destruction with the metallic head had unfolded before their very eyes. His mangled remains had since been recovered and now lay within the church, alongside the bodies of his suspicious companions.

They were all waiting for Miss Fabry. When Princess Sophia arrived at the church doors in an ordinary hired carriage, she was led by a nun up a flight of stairs to the floating negotiation platform. As she reached the top and stood at the entrance, everyone rose to their feet. The atmosphere was not one of welcome for the final guest, but something far more akin to... a memorial.

Dressed in a sharp, black dress, Princess Sophia had no idea what had happened. She had merely memorized the lines Jenkins had given her. He had neglected to mention she would also be attending a funeral.

She removed the soft white hat, adorned with a single flower, and stood tall, accepting their collective gaze. Though she was utterly bewildered, she projected an air of knowing all. Princess Sophia possessed a powerful presence, making her a far better fit for the role of “Miss Fabry” than Jenkins ever could be. Of course, if she had a cat, it would have been perfect.